This invention relates to window units for aircraft and in particular relates to a removable interior window unit for use on a passenger aircraft.
Typically, a passenger aircraft will have pressure windows mounted in sealed relation in the fuselage or hull of the aircraft to enable passengers to see out of the aircraft. An interior wall is generally installed spaced from the exterior hull to provide a more pleasing appearance for the interior of the aircraft and also to provide space for various service cables and conduits to run along the length of the aircraft. It is necessary, therefore, to make openings in the interior walls at the locations of the pressure windows to enable the passengers to see through the interior wall and out of the pressure window. In order to prevent passengers from marring or having access to the pressure window, an interior window is generally mounted in the interior wall paneling.
Conventional interior windows for aircraft generally include a transparent windowpane mounted in a frame or reveal. The reveal is then fixedly mounted to the interior paneling prior to the installation of the interior paneling in the aircraft. A slidable shade is generally provided inboard of the windowpane to enable a passenger to block sunlight coming through the window. If the shade or interior window is marred or damaged or if they or the pressure window need to be replaced or maintained, the conventional construction of the interior windows means that the entire interior panel must be removed and sent to a maintenance shop for repair. In order to remove the entire panel, it is necessary to remove the seats in the aircraft adjacent the panel. Therefore, interior window, window shade and pressure window repair or replacement is a major maintenance task.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an interior window assembly that is more readily removable from the interior paneling of an aircraft.
It is further an object of the invention to provide a window unit that is removable separately from the interior paneling and that can therefore be installed and removed without removing any of the aircraft seats.